Cleaning device



Sept. 29, 1942.

w.v c. GRANT 3 CLEANING DEVICE Filed Aug. 19, 1940 FEE-1-4 INVENTOR.

WILLIS C.GRANT ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 29, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLEANING DEVICE Willis C. Grant, Ashtabula, Ohio, assignor of one half to Alfred Marrison, Ashtabula, Ohio 5 Claims.

This invention relates as indicated to a cleaning device and more particularly to a device for cleaning bowling alley beds and gutters.

In maintaining a proper surface on bowling alley beds and gutters, it is generally necessary to shellac or lacquer their surfaces several times a season entailing considerable expense for this one item of maintenance. By careful and frequent cleaning of the alleys the life of such surfaces may be considerably lengthened, and the expense of refinishing proportionately reduced. For this purpose, various cleaners generally comprising merely a fixed cross bar carrying a cleaning element have been employed, and unless the fabric or fringe comprising the brushing element is often cleaned, as with a whisk broom, dirt soon begins to fall oil.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a cleaning device including a primary brushing element which may be periodically adjusted to present a new brushing surface so that such element need not be cleaned after each trip over an alley but only at infrequent intervals.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a device which also will include associated therewith swabs for cleaning the gutters, such swabs being both laterally and inclinably adjustable.

Other objects of this invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention then comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawing setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative however of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of my new cleaning device;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of such device;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 on Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 2 of the primary brushing element showing detent means for selectively locking said element against rotation;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front elevational View of such primary brushing element showing said detent means; and

Fig. 6 is a top view of one of the gutter swabs showing means for lateral adjustment.

Referring now more particularly to said drawmg, and especially Figs. 1 and 2, the device of my invention comprises a frame member I support ing cylindrical brushing element 2 about its axis on shaft 2' carried between end flanges 3 and 4. A handle 5 is fixedly attached centrally of said frame. Mounted on angular brackets 6 and I carried by said frame adjacent the opposite ends of such cylindrical member, are half round gutter swabs 8 and 9. The angle arms l0 and II attached to swabs 8 and 9 are pivotally joined to such brackets 6 and 1 respectively, and may be locked at any desired adjustment for inclining the swabs in a plane normal to the axis of said cylindrical brushing member .by tightening lock nuts l2 and [3.

The under sides of such half round swabs are covered with sheepskin wool W which is noted for its ability to pick up and hold dust and dirt. Similarly, the surface of cylindrical member 2 is entirely covered about its periphery with such sheepskin.

As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, means is provided for locking such brushing member against rotation as desired, such means comprising friction plates l4 and I5 which may be forced into tight engagement with flanges 3 and 4 by tightening nuts l5 and H.

An alternative and preferred form of locking device is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. A notched disk I8 is fixedly attached to one end of the brushing element, and detent means provided to engage the notches 19 therein, such detent means comprising a spring member 20 mounted on bracket 6 and bearing a tooth 2| at its end. Such detent may obviously :be manually released and the cylindrical brushing element rotated until the next succeeding notch is engaged. In this manner, a plurality of brushing surfaces may be successively presented in operative .position without the necessity of immediately cleaning the surface just used.

As shown in Fig. 6, means is also provided for a slight adjustment of the half round gutter swabs laterally of the frame, such means comprising slots such as 22 and 23 in members ill and II whereby said swabs may be moved relatively to said members and locked in the desired position by tightening screws 24 and 25.

It will, therefore, be seen that a cleaning de-' vice for bowling alleys has been provided affording a plurality of brushing surfaces selectively available whenever a new cleaning surface is desired. The gutter swabs may be inclinably adjusted as above explained to provide for varying inclinations of handle 5 as the comfort of the operator may require. The lateral adjustment of the swabs is suflicient to compensate for slight discrepancies in width of various alleys.-

It is, therefore, apparent that the objects of this invention have been accomplished in a manner providing for quick and simple operation and adjustment of my new device, and elimination of certain of the chief annoyances to which operators of alleys were formerly subject. Also, on removing the gutter swabs the cylindrical brushing element may be employed for other purposes as to clean dance floors and the like.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A cleaning device for bowling alleys comprising a frame including spaced flanges, a cylindrical brushing member rotatably mounted between said flanges, half round gutter swabs carried by said frame adjacent the respective ends of said cylindrical member, and means for securing said cylindrical member against rotation at selected positions.

2. A cleaning device for bowling alleys comprising a frame, a cylindrical brushing member rotatably mounted therein, half round gutter swabs carried by said frame adjacent the oppofill site ends of said cylindrical member, means for adjusting said swabs in a plane normal to the axis of said cylindrical member, and means for securing said cylindrical member against rotation at selected positions.

3. A cleaning device for bowling alleys comprising a frame, a cylindrical brushing member rotatably mounted therein, half round gutter swabs carried by said frame adjacent the opposite ends of said cylindrical member, means for inclinably adjusting said swabs in a plane normal to the axis of said cylindrical member, means for adjusting said swabs laterally of said frame, and means for securing said cylindrical member against rotation at selected positions.

4. A cleaning device for bowling alleys comprising a frame having spaced flanges, a cylindrical brushing member rotatably mounted between said flanges, gutter swabs carried by said frame adjacent the respective ends of said cylindrical member, and clamping means for looking said brush against rotation relative to said frame at any desired position.

5. A cleaning device for bowling alleys com prising a frame having spaced flanges, a cylindrical brushing member rotatably mounted between said flanges, gutt'er swabs carried by said frame adjacent the respective ends of said cylindrical member, and spring-backed detent means for locking said brush against rotation relative to said frame.

WILLIS C. GRANT. 

